Finding the path to success: life is not a straight line!

In today’s quick-fix, ‘you can have everything you want’ culture many people make the mistake of believing that life is a straight line and that it is easy to achieve our goals. The reality, we’re afraid to say, is that this is simply not true! It’s not true of our personal lives and it’s not true of our business lives.

For business owners it is an easy and attractive trap to fall into… You have a great business idea and go about putting together a business plan. On paper it looks good – all you need to do is X, Y and Z you will be well on the way to crafting and running a successful business.

We’re sorry to disappoint you but this is rarely the case!

The ups and downs of running a business

There can be plenty of ups when running a business – making a big sale, winning a big contract, taking on your first employee for example, but you can also expect there to be downs along the way.

Something will go wrong. Things won’t go the way you’d hoped. You will need to adapt and reshape your plans. There will be moments of disappointment. People or other businesses will let you down. You won’t always make as much money as expected. An employee may not match your expectations or could decide to leave at a time when you really need them.

We can’t predict what will go wrong, but it is inevitable that there will be obstacles along the way. Life is not a straight line.

In fact, at different points we might realise we have taken a wrong turn, made a bad decision and gone down the wrong path or that we have been running round and round in circles. Life is not always easy to navigate. It throws up a lot of curveballs and it’s easy to get lost!

The secret to success: finding the opportunity in the hard times

Fortunately, success is often to be found through the navigation of our disappointments. The harder moments in life temper our character, forcing us to dig deep and often leading to breakthrough. This is the secret of running a business – realising that these moments of challenge are our opportunities to learn, grow and develop.

Napoleon Hill states that “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” (Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich, 1937)

The trouble is we often only see these benefits in hindsight.

This reality can crush a business but the good news is that with DP Accounting on your team, our advice and support can help you reap the benefits found in the midst of difficulties, challenges and even failures. We help our clients to use these moments to grow and develop, ensuring they have all the financial information they need to make informed, strategic decisions. We offer grounded perspective, combined with years of experience – it’s the kind of support that makes a real and lasting difference.

Are you ready to embrace the mindset of seeing the good in the hard times?

Businesses that are successful are the businesses that, when they’re knocked down, get back up immediately. They are led by people who are committed to learning and growing. They are led by people who put themselves in a position where they will not be denied.

Talk to any business leader who has achieved some measure of success and they will tell you of the times where they’ve felt like they were on the brink of failure. They get their head down and persevere. It’s the only route to worthwhile success.

Thomas Edison had 10,000 attempts before successfully inventing the modern lightbulb. He is quoted in 1877 as saying that “many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

If it was an easy journey, a simple straight line, would it really have any value? If success was handed to us on a plate, could we take any pride or sense of accomplishment in that? It’s important that we learn how to fight for success.

There’s tremendous value in having an accountant who knows how to support businesses in their journey to success.

We have extensive experience working with diverse businesses to help them overcome the day-to-day obstacles that demonstrate that life and business are not always simple. Of course we do take care of your finances, but we offer so much more than numbers – a dependable accountancy team who understand business might be exactly what you need as you navigate the ups and downs.

We can’t promise that it will always be easy but we know that our services make a difference to all of our clients.

If this sounds like the kind of accountant you need (and let’s face it, who wouldn’t want an accountant who takes time to understand and then support your business), then today is the right time to pick up the phone and have a conversation with us.

We’re ready to talk. Are you?

If you could benefit from an accountant that gives you more than just numbers,then its time to get in touch!

"As a company we are beginning to grow, but we have only been able to come this far with the help of some very sound advice and assistance from our accountants (DPA) and some very respected suppliers. We are excited about the future and I just wanted to let you know how much your support has been appreciated."- UPVC Doors and Windows Manufacturer